The present invention relates to explosive warheads and, in particular, to aimable warheads capable of producing a blast fragment pattern directed toward a desired target.
Evaluations of the performance of current missile systems reveal a number of shortcomings that have prevented the achievement of the degree of effectiveness needed to disable or, in other words, structurally kill the tougher and sometimes faster targets encountered in modern-day combat. Also, anticipated developments make it rather apparent that conventional missile systems will not be able to fully meet this challenge without significant warhead improvements in terms of increased kill radii as well as substantial increases in the energy density and velocity of the warhead fragments producing the target damage. Although target effectiveness obviously can be increased directly with increases in the mass density and striking velocity of the payload fragments, these parameters are met by some very stringent limiting factors, such as the maximum available space, weight and other system requirements.
Conventional warheads for the most part are cylindrical members in which the blast fragment payload is packed in suitable manners on the outer shell or skin of the warhead while the explosive is carried centrally interiorly of the skin and payload. Blast patterns from such warheads are circular to the extent that the pattern propagates in all directions around the 360.degree. circumference of the warhead. Such a warhead, for example, as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,228,336 "Rod Warhead" issued Jan. 11, 1966 to Marvin L. Kempton.
As is apparent, 360.degree. blasts of this type dissipate energy in all directions rather than concentrate it in a desired target direction and, to this extent, a significant portion of the energy is lost. Some effort, of course, has been directed toward directionally concentrating or aiming the blast pattern so as to increase the kill radius and permit substantial increases in fragment density and velocity. For example, the principle of shaped charges has been applied but, as far as is known, there have been no significant improvements along this line.